Curried Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I refuse to let that get in the way of enjoying the Great Pumpkin food spirit of Thanksgiving.

In fact, this curried pumpkin recipe is My Very Favorite Soup Recipe Ever, slightly adapted from Kim Barnouin’s Skinny Bitch vegan cookbook series. 

Use the leftover pumpkin puree (you’ll need to buy 2 cans, but won’t use it all) to make this delicious Pumpkin Snickerdoodles recipe courtesy of MS2 Emily Williams.  With subtle hints of spice and pumpkin, these are perfect cookies for the holidays.    

***BONUS RECIPE*** If you have a donut pan (about $10), try this Baked Pumpkin Donuts recipe.  I substituted apple cider for milk (mine was bad)- they turned out verrry sweet!  

Curried Pumpkin Soup

3 tablespoons butter

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cups (500 g) canned pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon curry powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 cups vegetable stock

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ cups almond milk (yes, you can use regular milk)

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat.  Add the apples and onion.  Cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the pumpkin puree, curry, and sugar, and cook 2 minutes.  Add the stock and wine.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and cook about 20 minutes. 

(If you have an immersion blender- lucky you! Use it to puree the soup right in the cooking pot, and then skip to step 3)

2.  Remove from heat and transfer half of the soup to a food processor or blender.  Let it sit 10 minutes to cool.  Puree the soup until smooth, and then pour into a large bowl.  Transfer remaining soup from the pot into your processer/blender and puree.

3.  Return all soup to the pot and cook gently over medium-low heat until heated through.  Pour in the milk and stir until hot.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.

I love to serve this soup with a loaf of sourdough wheat bread. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda,  salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.